Federal financial aid is available for those who qualify. Financial aid at the College of Court Reporting comes in three basic forms: scholarships, grants, and loans. Grants and scholarships are direct awards of aid that do not have to be repaid. Loans, which usually are offered at low interest rates, must be repaid after the recipient leaves the college or drops to less than half-time enrollment (less than 6 credit hours).
The financial need of most students is met by combining an expected family contribution, based on the student’s Student Aid Index (SAI), with a financial aid package consisting of Federal Pell Grants and Federal Direct Loans, supplemented by college-awarded tuition-reimbursement scholarships, employment, and private awards. Students should set up an appointment with a financial aid officer to determine eligibility.
The financial aid office awards federal aid based on the Student Aid Index (SAI) from the student’s Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) and Cost of Attendance (COA) (The ISIR is produced by the U.S. Department of Education from the information the student provides on the FAFSA). Students who feel the financial and family information as requested on the FAFSA does not take into account their unusual or special circumstances may request a professional judgement review.
Unusual circumstances refer to the conditions that justify an aid administrator making an adjustment to a student’s dependency status based on a unique situation, commonly referred to as a dependency override. Some examples include, but are not limited to:
- Parental Abandonment;
- Incarceration;
- Refugee or asylee status; or
- Human trafficking
Special circumstances refer to the financial situations that justify an aid administrator adjusting data elements in the COA or in the SAI calculation. Some examples include, but are not limited to:
- Loss of employment;
- Unusual family medical or dental expenses not covered by insurance;
- Tuition expenses at an elementary or secondary school for the student’s siblings or dependents;
- Extraordinary dependent care expenses;
- Divorce of a dependent student’s parent or of an independent student; or
- Death of a dependent student’s parent or of an independent student’s spouse.
The decision of the financial aid administrator on special and unusual circumstance adjustments is final. There is no appeal to the U.S. Department of Education. In order to be considered for professional judgment:
- The student must request a professional judgment review from the financial aid office.
- Professional judgment documents are added to the Student Portal for the student to officially request the professional judgment as well as provide supporting documentation. (What documentation is needed will depend on the reason for the request).
- The financial aid office will review the provided documentation. If additional documentation is needed, the financial aid office will continue to communicate with the student via the portal and emails.
- If approved, the financial aid office will make necessary changes based on the documentation provided and satisfy the request.
- Once the financial aid office receives the new ISIR, which reflects the professional judgment changes, they will package the student based on the new information.
The financial aid office administers and coordinates financial aid programs according to applicable federal and state regulations and college policies, which guarantee all students equal access to financial assistance. The college does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, genetic information, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, status as a veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Application Procedures
To apply for financial aid, applicants need not wait until they are accepted. Applicants may apply for admission and financial aid simultaneously. Although students should apply for financial aid before they are accepted, no disbursements will be made to students prior to attending class. For Direct Loan recipients, disbursements will not be made for at least 30 days after their start date.
Required Applications
To apply for financial aid, students must submit a current U.S. Department of Education Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), listing CCR as a designated school to receive their information.
All federal student loans currently originate through the U.S. Department of Education’s direct lending program. Students must complete a Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) in order to receive federal student loans, if they do not already have a valid MPN on file with the U.S. Department of Education.
When requesting financial aid information, prospective students should specify the semester in which they intend to enroll at the College of Court Reporting.
Federal Pell Grants and Direct Loans
Students should apply for financial aid as early as possible prior to their intended enrollment date. For Direct Loans, applications may be submitted prior to or during enrollment. Application processing time is approximately two to three weeks.
Federal Pell Grant Program: This is a federal grant program available to eligible students attending approved post-high school institutions. Undergraduate students enrolled in an eligible program who do not have a baccalaureate degree are eligible to apply. Grants, which are determined based on financial need, may range from $740 a year to a maximum of $7,395.00 for the 2024-2025 award year.
Federal Direct Subsidized Loan Program: This program offers students with financial need long-term, low interest rate loans. Students must be enrolled at least half-time to participate in this program. Money for the Direct Subsidized Loan Program is borrowed directly from the U.S. Department of Education. Interest does not accrue, and repayment does not begin, for loans through this program, until the student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time.
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan Program: This program offers students long-term, low interest rate loans that are not based on financial need. Money for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan Program is borrowed directly from the U.S. Department of Education. Interest on this loan accrues while the student is enrolled; however, repayment does not begin until the student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time.
Federal Direct PLUS Loan Program: This program offers long-term loans to parents of dependent undergraduate students which are not based upon financial need but which are based on credit history. Determination of eligibility for need-based aid is required prior to a PLUS Loan application. Interest begins to accrue as each disbursement is made. Repayment begins after the loan has been fully disbursed. Money for the Federal Direct PLUS Loan Program is borrowed directly from the U.S. Department of Education.
General Eligibility Requirements
The following general eligibility requirements are not all inclusive and do not apply to every financial aid program. These are the major and most common application requirements a student must meet to be eligible for federal financial aid. Students should carefully examine the current financial aid packet, financial aid applications, and award notices for requirements that are unique to specific aid programs.
1. The student must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or eligible refugee.
2. The student must be enrolled or accepted in a court reporting program.
3. The student must be in good academic standing as defined under Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (see Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress in this catalog).
4. The student must not be in default on any Title IV Loans (Direct Loans, Perkins Loans, PLUS Loans).
5. The student must not owe a refund on any Title IV Grants (FSEOG, Pell Grants).
Federal Return to Title IV Funds (R2T4)
The Federal Return to Title IV Funds policy (R2T4) is used to determine the amount of Title IV aid that students earned while in attendance, and the amount of unearned Title IV aid which must be returned to the Title IV programs when the student withdraws or is terminated. Funds received, but not earned, as of a student’s withdrawal date must be returned. All funds will be considered earned upon completion of 60% of the payment period, thus there is no return of funds during the last 40% of the semester. This calculation is separate from a refund calculation, which determines how much of the tuition charged for the semester has been earned by the school, and how much must be credited against the student’s ledger card (and refunded to the student, if the semester’s charges have been paid in full). See “Refund Policy ” in this catalog.
If a student receiving Title IV aid withdraws from the college during a semester/payment period in which the recipient began attendance, the college must calculate the percentage and amount of Title IV aid that the student did not earn and return those funds to the applicable Title IV programs. If the day that the student withdraws occurs after the student has completed 60% of the payment period, 100% of the Title IV aid will have been considered earned. The calculation is based on calendar days in the semester/payment period. This includes weekends, but excludes breaks of more than 4 days. The day the student notifies CCR that they are withdrawing will be the official withdrawal date and is the date that will be used in determining the percentage of aid earned. If the student provides no notification (unofficial withdrawal), the withdrawal date will be the midpoint of the semester, unless CCR can document a later date of participation in an academically related activity.
The percentage of aid earned is determined by taking the total number of calendar days that the student was enrolled at the college (including weekends) and dividing it by the total number of calendar days in the semester/payment period. This percentage is then multiplied by the total amount of Title IV aid that was disbursed for the payment period as well as Title IV aid that could have been disbursed for the payment period to obtain the calculated return amount. Of the calculated return amount, the school is responsible for returning the unearned portion of aid used to pay the tuition and fee charges the student incurred for the payment period. The balance of funds to be returned, if any, is the responsibility of the student. (This provision will only apply if a student or parent received a stipend check for living expenses). The student (or parent if a Federal PLUS loan is involved) must return the unearned funds, for which they are responsible, to loan programs in accordance with the terms of the loan. Or, if the funds come from a federal grant, they must be returned to the grant program as an overpayment.
Grant overpayments are subject to repayment arrangements satisfactory to the school, or overpayment collection procedures prescribed by the U.S. Department of Education. A student who refuses to pay will be ineligible for further Title IV aid, will be reported to other schools as being in an overpayment status, and will be referred to the U.S. Department of Education for collection. The school must notify the student within 30 days of their withdrawal if they owe a grant overpayment.
Return of Funds are returned to the federal programs in the following priority, until the calculated return amount has been satisfied:
- Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan,
- Subsidized Federal Direct Loans,
- Federal PLUS Loans,
- Federal Pell Grants.
The school must return the amount of Title IV funds for which it is responsible no later than 45 days after the date of determination that the student has withdrawn. The date of determination of withdrawal, for R2T4 purposes will be:
- the date the student officially notifies the institution of his/her withdrawal. This date, as determined by the institution, is the date that the student either began the withdrawal process, or otherwise provided official notification to the institution, in writing or orally, of his or her intent to withdraw;
- otherwise, the date the institution terminates the student or determines that the student has withdrawn.
Maintaining Eligibility
For students to maintain eligibility for the various financial aid programs, they must reapply annually to each agency responsible for administering that financial aid program. Students should contact the financial aid office prior to the academic year for which they wish to apply for aid to obtain information and current applications.
It should be noted that individual federal, state, and institutional aid program requirements take precedence over all general and institutional eligibility requirements previously outlined. Students should read carefully all material received with any financial aid offer. The student will be responsible for repaying federal student loans according to federal guidelines.
Veterans Educational Benefits
CCR is approved by the Indiana State Approving Agency for Veterans Training to train veterans and their qualified dependents who are eligible for Veterans Administration educational benefits. More information about education benefits offered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va/gov/gibill. GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the VA.
Title 38 United States Code Section3679(e)
As part of the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, section 3679 of title 38, United States Code as amended, the College of Court Reporting provides the following policy in accordance with the Act:
NOTE: A Covered Individual is any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under Chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or Chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits.
- CCR permits any covered individual to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides CCR a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under Chapter 31 or 33 (a “certificate of eligibility” can also include a “Statement of Benefits” obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ [VA] website e-Benefits, or a VAF 28-1905 form for chapter 31 authorization purposes) and ending on the earlier of the following dates:
- The date on which payment from VA is made to CCR,
- 90 days after the date CCR certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility.
- CCR ensures that it will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional resources, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement funding from VA under Chapter 31 or 33.
In addition, statute allows CCR to require Chapter 31 and Chapter 33 students to take the following additional actions:
- Submit a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance no later than the first day of a semester.
- Submit a written request to use such entitlement.
- Provide additional information necessary for the proper certification of enrollment by CCR.
- CCR may require additional payment or impose a fee for the amount that is the difference between the amount of the student’s financial obligation and the amount of the VA education benefit disbursement.
Private Grants
- Indiana Department of Workforce Development, 10 N. Senate Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46204.
- Indiana Kankakee Valley job training center, 317 Detroit St., Michigan City, IN 46360
- Vocational Rehabilitation, 2602 East Chicago St., Valparaiso, IN 46383
Scholarships
The National Court Reporters Association offers various scholarships ranging from $250 to $5000. Students may check their website for more information at https://www.ncra.org/home/the-profession/scholarships-and-grants.
Other scholarships may be available through community groups, service organizations, and national organizations. Examples of these groups include the Tri Kappa sorority, Community Foundation of Elkhart County, and Lions Club International. Applications, disclosure forms, application procedures, deadline dates, basis for selection, amount of awards, etc., vary and are obtained by applying to each individual organization.
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